The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-16
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HELENA VANCE.
4. Lost ct Sea. !:
/: Aged %. /:

To the happy, hals score of years may pass
Ike dream in the night. They may pass like
dream In the night, too, to those who are
Nmply uneware of their lapse, as woman
lying helpless and speechess in large hospital
Tor the insane near a town on the French coast,
Eoud hardly fail to be. She had been brought
there by the captain Of French steamer who
had picked her up at sea. pitving passengers
having snbscribed q sum of money for her
comfort. He knew nothing about her, the
fracture of her skulifor she had been, per-
haps, dragged the whole length of the keel
and hurt by the pTopellsr-bad already made
her insehsibls before the apoplexy of
drowning took rlses, sad although, when
long effort, to be living she had no language and
no consciouspess The fine texture st the frag
mems left of the garipents torn, and cut, and
wrsnched away indicated comfortable circum-
stances: but no name was to be found on any of
the remaining portions. Yet one could hardly
look at her and hot imagine her to have Been
person Of singular refnement as she evidently
still was Of Singular beauty-dark and shapely,
pightblack hair. The captain who left her at
the hospital on landing had intended to insert
advertisements respecting her in the American
newspapers, hpy whether he did or NOT no one
Enew, as he tyae himself lost at sea on the return
voyage
Ard so she had remained where he had left
her, Der case exciting some interest among sur
Rcous. The fracture of the skull had long been
cured, and 1t VAS thought that slow absorption
wo b s s so In q od and ID in time
friends. She had gradually walked from her
ptupor and given faiut glimmers of reason, and
become more and thore Intelligent, although SO
s!yyly tina. 9ps g M j. only By coYparson
French Whether ifat Vas her r Hatiye tongue
was doubtful, from scsgiain popularity of pro-
nunciatou. It was possible she had learned it
- child learns It's mother topeue. hearing it
spoken about her; hut on the other hand, if she
Belonged as her dark rich color seemed
would account for the popularity. In the eight
years of her stay, however, she, once in a while
said something in a foreign tongue German
perhaps, or Engiish-the case was inexplicable.
p1exipg thoughts. OF melancholy memories, of
doubt and wonder; she obtained from the at
PENDANTS all that they knew about herself, but
she said nothing in reply as if uncertain whether
che dreamed or walked. The physicians regarded
IL AZ an uhfavorable symptom that she became
very sad. One day she was humming an Italian
air full Of Gorture; she wept afterward; she could
not have told you why And then she soothed a
demsnted child by singing to him softly all the
morning. The attendants cotin the way Of asking
her to sihg whenever the wards were noisy, and
she always brought quiet-ap old official of the
place usad 10 do the Same thing with his flute
lhcy said. Qae day when dangerous and mur
ferrous maniac had broken loose and was dealing
havoc on his way, she astonished everybody
Within the walls by walking cooily toward him
hnd bursting into triumphal song, fnil.ttroat-
3D. resounding sweet 10 the soul's satisfaction
I'll the maniaA crept to her feet aud allowed the
seemed more be wildered and SD than before
One morning. in the tenth year of her stay
wrapped 10 her long cloak and big blue hood
and Walking Ia the grounds, Of which she hai
(ong had tie liberty, che suddenly threw up heI
nanas, usterlng . loud CRY, 4 have it all! IhAvs